The disappearance of a schoolgirl in Noosa Heads | Forensic Files

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that's MB M t.com slash case file during the movement [Music] our episodes deal with serious and often
distressing incidents if you feel at anytime you need support please contact your local crisis center for suggested
phone numbers for confidential support please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website
today's episode deals with a crime committed against the child that won't be suitable for all listeners as the
midweek workday was wrapping up on Wednesday November 11 1987 staff were closing stores and filtering out of
officers through our tips which an inland urban region on the western edge of Brisbane in Queensland Australia
at 5:30 p.m. twenty-four-year-old retail assistant Cheryl Mortimer finished her shift at the Target department store
located in the boo Val fair shopping center after business hours activity around the centre had died down
significantly and very few people were still around the adjacent carpark which was usually packed with cars was
now quiet and too near deserted cheryl collected her vehicle and drove towards the parking lot exit where her attention
was drawn to an unassuming middle-aged woman with short hair and a frumpy physique
the woman was flagging cheryl down indicating she needed directions cheryl pulled over to assist as the two women
interacted a younger-looking slim man seemingly sprang out of nowhere and rushed at Cheryl placing a knife to her
throat the man cut his own hand with the knife accidentally leaving his bloody fingerprints smeared on the window of
Cheryl's car the attack came to an abrupt halt when one of Cheryl's colleagues appeared and approached the
scene causing the man and woman to flee in a white Holden Kingswood station wagon shaken but otherwise unhurt Cheryl
went straight to the police station to report the incident providing a detailed statement of her ordeal including a
description of the perpetrators vehicle and her best recollection of its license
plate she believed it to have been an interstate license plate perhaps from New South Wales with the registration
number ll a four three nine by seven o'clock that evening heaps which police tracked down the person linked to the
registration number given by Cheryl Mortimer they discovered the license plates were attached to a Toyota Corolla
sedan not a Holden station wagon its owner resided in a country town in the neighboring state of New South Wales and
had been nowhere near Queensland that night indicating Cheryl had misread her burka traders license plate
the bloody fingerprint was taken from the window of Cheryl's car but with no suspects to compare it to all officers
could do was store it on file in hopes and might lead them to identifying the perpetrator in the future despite having
little to go on Detective Constable Graham hall of the Ipswich Criminal Investigation Branch
was determined to find a Cheryl Mortimer's attackers he ran a small notice about the assault in the local
Ipswich newspaper this publicity led to two nurses from Ipswich General Hospital
coming forward both revealing they too had frightening encounters with the men in a white Kingswood Holden station
wagon these encounters occurred on Tuesday November 10 the night before Cheryl Mortimer's attack both
confrontations occurred late at night in the hospital car park when the women were leaving work in one instance the
men banged on the window of one of the nurses cars giving her such a fright that she locked her doors and quickly
drove away the other nurse Nicole clothes had been coaxed out of her vehicle by the man who was holding a map
and two requesting directions he stood far too close to Nicole for comfort but her nervousness became
stomach-turning fear when she noticed Hessian bags and ropes in the back seat of his car
she was inadvertently saved by another hospital employee who happened to pass by startling the men and giving Nicole
the opportunity to jump back into her own vehicle and drive away Nicole closed told police she thought
the license plate of the man's white station wagon was llf four to nine this was near identical to the license
plate number given by Cheryl Mortimer except for a minor difference in a letter and digit there was little doubt
that all three women were confronted by the same men using the same vehicle and in Cheryl's case he was assisted by an
older woman yet an interstate search on the license plate registration offered by Nicole close also came up blank a
police staffer spent their entire shift sifting through a vehicle database running combinations of letters and
numbers of the perpetrators registration provided by their victims hoping to stumble across one linked to a Holden
Kingswood station wagon this extensive search proved fruitless and the couple are costing women throughout Ipswich
remained unidentified although the perpetrators were still on the loose no further incidents were reported two
whips with police over the following weeks leading investigators to hope the couple's terrifying crime spree had come
to an end [Music] Friday November 27 1997 was a warm spring day in the coastal retreat of
Nusa typical weather for Queensland's Sunshine Coast 180 kilometers north of Ipswich before it was renamed noosa
heads in 1988 and became a cosmopolitan playground for cashed-up holidaymakers noosa was a quiet safe town populated by
sun seeking retirees and young families they were lured by its perfect weather and pristine beaches looking to escape
the big city for a more laid-back seaside lifestyle 31 year old bartender Elizabeth young and her friend Bill
Wallace decided to make the most of the balmy weather by spending the afternoon swimming at castaways Beach a stretch of
ocean around seven kilometers south of the noosa township after eating lunch Elizabeth and Bill were cooling off in
the surf when suddenly the black Labrador dog they had brought along started growling at someone who was
walking along the shoreline Elizabeth looked up to see an unshaven man who appeared to be aged in his 30s his
sun-bleached hair was typical of the area but he's scruffy King J Brand industrial work shorts and shirt was out
of place a tire for the beach Elizabeth recalled quote he looked like a farmer looking for his cows there was
something very odd about the way he was dressed and he wasn't looking at the water the men looked a vaguely familiar
to Elizabeth she thought she had seen him the previous day - looking similarly disheveled perhaps even drunk
Elizabeth wave been called out a greeting but the men did not respond instead he gave her an unwavering colds
their which along with the aggressive reaction of her usually Placid dog made the hairs on the back of Elizabeth's
neck prickle with alarm the unknown man resumed walking with purpose back and forth among the jeans as if he was
searching for something bill suggested to Elizabeth that they head to the carpark to check on his vehicle as it
had been broken into several times while spark that cast the waste page and he suspected the stranger might be
responsible when the pair reached the carpark Bill's Land Cruiser was still locked into nothing had been taken the
bill didn't like the look of the only other vehicle in the small carpark a white dust covered Holden Kingswood
station wagon with a black and white license plate that indicated it was registered interstate bill and Elizabeth
eventually returned to the beach moving to a spot where they could keep an eye on activity around to the carpark just
before 3:00 p.m. Elizabeth and Bill caught sight of the strange man from earlier getting into
the white station wagon sensing something wasn't right Elizabeth and Bill decided to follow the
vehicle in their Land Cruiser trailing at 7 kilometers northward to the new SOE Junction shopping precinct located a 25
minute walk from nooses main beach in the National Park the junction was a bustling hub of supermarkets retail
stores into cafes Elizabeth and Bill witnessed the station wagon driving towards Ponnuru Park a
large section of woodland located at the rear of the noosa junction shopping center
the park back on two nooses suburbs making its narrow tree-lined pathways a useful thoroughfare for those walking to
and from the junction but it's hidden away aspect also made it a popular place for late night parties and hangouts it
was at this time that Elizabeth and to build lost sight of the station wagon in traffic the entire situation unnerved
Elizabeth but she and Bill agreed that they couldn't go to the police to report someone simply because they seemed
strange they put the occurrence to the back of their minds and continued on with their day that same afternoon at
around 3:30 p.m. the end of day bell rang out across Queensland schoolyards year-seven student 12 year old Shawn
kingi rushed out of her classroom at sunshine beige school and immediately jumped on her prized possession her ten
spade yellow Repco racing bike she rode over to meet her mother Linda at the noose affair shopping centre in noosa
Junction Linda had agreed to help her daughter find the perfect material to make indoor skirt for a birthday party
Shawn was attending over the weekend Shawn was excited about Sunday's party she was popular among her classmates and
a love to socialise and dance at school she enjoyed a jazz ballet and playing on
the netball team her 167 centimeter slim frame giving her a significant height advantage over the other girls her age
Shawn inherited long straight golden blonde hair from her mother's side that had the olive skin and enormous dark
eyes of her Mary father teachers found her quiet and well-behaved and she charmed everyone
she met with her shy nature and good manners at around 4:45 p.m. the mother and daughter successfully completed
their mission to find a material for Shawn's skirt before embarking on the one kilometer walk back to their house
in noosa suburbs Linda decided to stop into the bakery to buy a loaf of bread for the weekend Shan
told her mother that she would get a head start on her bike as she was eager to change out of her school uniform a
blue and white striped summer dress Binda keaney didn't hesitate in agreeing to let her daughter make the short bike
ride home new sir in the 80s there was like a country town on the beach safe and secure when no one was a stranger
parents didn't think twice about letting their children walk or ride their bikes
to and from school or to visit friends and play in the park until it was time to come home for dinner after she
purchased the bread Linda would take a shortcut home along the sandy walking path meanwhile Shawn would ride along
the bar track through nearby a pin aru Park the BART track waved from behind the brightly lit busy shopping center
through picturesque quiet park lands of the reserve there was a kilometre long ride Shawn had taken a hundred times
before despite the extra distance with the head start Shawn would easily beat her mother home
the 12 year old slung her olive green school bag over her shoulders climbed onto her bike and set off
Linda selected a loaf from the hot bread display her transaction which only took
a couple of minutes she then started the walk to the kingi family homes that via
the sandy track when Linda arrived home a short time later Shawn and her bike were nowhere to be seen
Linda didn't think much of it assuming her daughter had run into some friends on the way home and stopped to chat
about school or the forthcoming party however when dusk approached and Shan still hadn't returned home Linda became
increasingly concerned her daughter was not prone to disobedience or thoughtlessness and it was very out of
character for her to stay out so much later than she knew she was allowed to Linda picked up the phone and to begin
making calls to all of Shawn's friends trying to locate her but each response confirmed that none of
them had seen Shawn since they left school for the day Shawn's father Barry King he arrived home a little after 8:00
p.m. and was immediately alerted to the fact that Linda hadn't seen their daughter since the pair had parted ways
at noosa Junction around a 4:45 p.m. the couple immediately set off to penury Park to retrace the route Shawn would
have taken hoping to find her along the way when the concerned parents arrived at the bike track it only took them a
few minutes to find a Shawn's yellow bike discarded on the side of the path but there was no sign of their daughter
knowing there was no way Shawn would have willingly abandoned her beloved bike Linda and Barry placed the bicycle
into the trailer of Barry's you'd and headed straight to the police station the couple walked into the noosa police
station at 8:40 p.m. and presented their daughters photograph to Detective Sergeant Bob Atkinson
noosa was a town of less than 15,000 residents and sergeant atkinson knew 12 year-old Shawn King ebuy saw it as she
played in the same netball league as his own daughter the king is assured Atkinson know would
be completely out of character for Shawn to run away or not come home by nightfall arkinson accompanied the king
he's back to pina Rupa the check whether Shawn had perhaps injured herself or fallen unconscious nearby but Shawn
wasn't there and neither were her belongings Detective Sergeant Atkinson was highly concerned but he knew theirs
was a safe and close-knit community so he tried to remain positive quote I would have thought that 5:30 in the
afternoon in Nusa in summer would have been one of the safest places in Australia for a kidney to be upon
returning to the station arkinson ring the night desk of the local newspaper Sunshine Coast the daily who was past
the deadline for print submissions but the newspaper made an exception and agreed to run the photograph of Shawn
along with the details of her disappearance for the Saturday morning edition of the paper
Shawn King he was officially declared a missing person berry into Linda King he enjoyed a sleepless night without their
daughter they waited anxiously for daybreak when they could resume their inquiries around town aided by the news
release that would appear in the morning's paper although no information about Shawn's whereabouts came in
overnight by the time the Sun came up every available police officer in the Nusa district was assigned to be on the
lookout for Shawn King he as news of Shang kingi's disappearance spread throughout the local community
late started trickling in some witnesses reported seeing shown in pintura Park on
the day of her disappearance but had not noted her as being in danger a couple of people also reported having
seen cars in a parking bay at the edge of the reserve around at the time Shawn went missing one of which was described
as a white dust covered station wagon members of the community reported every single detail they thought may help no
matter how minor every flasher loiterer pickpocket drug dealer and suspicious-looking stranger were holding
to the police station for questioning however nothing discussed led to Shawn's whereabouts the people of Nusa enter the
surrounding Sunshine Coast district bent it together like they never had before United in the quest to find young Shawn
King he has fears for her safety group the community gave an outpouring of support to the girls concerned parents
while Detective Sergeant Atkinson took the kingi family under his wing personally ensuring they were kept in
the loop every step of the investigation on Sunday November 29 Shawn's friends celebrated the birthday
of a classmate at noosa national park Shawn had been looking forward to the party all week the fabric she had
carefully selected for her party skirt sitting untouched at home Shawn had been missing for two days and hope remained
high that the 12 year old would suddenly reappear and attend the party but that hope was soon shattered when Shawn was a
no-show with no sign of Sean emerging the noosa Police Department put in a call to the
Brisbane homicide squad and to request that for as many detectives as they could spare to make the 140 kilometres
rip up the coast although there was no evidence to suggest Sean had been killed a dozen homicide detectives converged on
the noosa township to offer their assistance in the search a command center was set up in nooses Criminal
Investigation Branch and that was me and around the clock in an attempt to choke
memories a mannequin dressed in Shaun's blue and white striped school dress was put on display in Ponnuru Park near the
location she was last seen by Sunday evening chance disappearance was headlining every local news bulletin
resulting in a flood of leads to new sir police many of these reports led nowhere
there were either observations or incidents unrelated to Sean's disappearance the product of overactive
imaginations or created purely for attention unsubstantiated sightings were abundant placing Sean near the local
balls club tennis courts Surf Club and even hitchhiking northbound investigations were stifled from
clairvoyants who insisted on having their visions taken seriously into mentally unwell people who confessed to
the crime but could provide no further information than what was in the papers a total of 700 leads were investigated
most taking the investigation nowhere however there was one detail that kept coming up in various reports witness
sightings of a white station wagon with out-of-state license plates in the vicinity of Ponnuru park at the time
Sean vanished the description of this station wagon differed in each statement some
witnesses claimed the vehicle had curtains yet others were certain they could see inside and it may or may not
have had mag wheels or roof racks but despite these conflicting specifics the vehicle was consistently described as a
dusty white station wagon likely a Holden Kingswood model that was several years old
witnesses who had caught a glimpse of the vehicles occupants provided a description of a man with a sir feellike
appearance who was in the company of a plump woman none had seen a little girl police urged everyone in the Sunshine
Coast District who had a vehicle that so much as vaguely matched the witness descriptions of the white station wagon
to come forward so their car could be eliminated from the investigation every white station wagon that ventured onto
Queensland roads was pulled over many several times a day the drivers aggressively questioned about their
whereabouts the previous Friday evening to save time police issued drivers who were cleared of any suspicion with a
card that they could flash should they be pulled over again as proof that they had been given the all-clear the search
for the vehicle of interest in the Xiong Kingi missing-person investigation was no small feat Holden Kingswood station
wagons were an exceedingly common type of car with 17,000 of them registered in Queensland alone 10,000 of which were
white having worked the night before and subsequently slept for most of the following day 31 year old bartender
Elizabeth young had missed the escalating drama regarding the disappearance of Shaun King II
when she was finally made aware of canoes Elizabeth couldn't believe what she was hearing
Elizabeth knew Linda kingi as the two had worked together at the mango tree cafe a few years earlier Shawn and her
younger brother used to visit the cafe after school enjoying milkshakes while they waited for their mother to finish
her shift when police appealed for information regarding a dusty white station wagon
Elizabeth's mind immediately returned to castaways Beach on the afternoon of Friday November 27 the daesh aren't
vanished Elizabeth and her companion bill Wallace witnessed a disheveled man behaving suspiciously along the
shoreline before driving off from the beach carpark in a dusty white station wagon at around 3 p.m. Elizabeth and
Bill tailed the vehicle to noosa junction where they lost sight of it driving towards Ponnuru park after
hearing about Zhang Qing Yi's disappearance Elizabeth reported this information to police and investigators
subsequently reached out to bill Wallace for further information Bill's description of both the men and
the station wagon matched perfectly with the information police had already obtained from Elizabeth and other
witnesses but he also had one additional detail that nobody else had reported Alston the castaways beach parking lot
bill had scrawled the station wagons license-plate number on a scrap of no paper securing it in a clip that was
attached to his dashboard the note read LL a four to nine police ran this license-plate number through
Queensland's vehicle database but it didn't return a match nor did it match any registrations in the neighboring
state of New South Wales when they plugged the number into the database of the state of Victoria located over 1500
kilometres south of noosa had finally returned a hit a white 1973 Holden Kingswood station
wagon with the license plate number of lle four to nine was registered to a Victorian woman 44 year old Val may fade
back the name meant nothing to noose a police investigating the disappearance of Shaun King II so they contacted
Victoria police and asked the regional detectives there to check out Val made Beck's address and determine why her
vehicle was recently spotted in their sleepy coastal Township two states away Victoria Police detectives headed to the
suburb of Merle bark around a 35 kilometers east of Melbourne to pay a visit to the address where Val made
Beck's station wagon was registered Velma Becker was not at the house it was occupied by an elderly man who informed
detectives that Val Mae was the wife of his adopted son Barry Jon Watts beckoned Watts had recently visited
Melbourne from Western Australia making the 3400 kilometer trip to the opposite side of the country in a small sedan
whilst in Melbourne Velma Beck traded their sedan for a white 1973 Holden Kingswood station wagon using her name
along with her father-in-law's address on the registration documents not long after Val made back into Barry Watts
departed for a trip up north in the station wagon their current whereabouts unknown police ran a background check
for both Val night back and Barry Watts discovering the couple were convicted criminals Barry Watts had served prison
time for various offenses including armed robbery and burglary he was associated with another known criminal
by the name of Val may Forte which investigators deduced was the previous name of Velma Beck
she had convictions for theft false pretences indecent behavior obscene language forgery and a vagrancy the
criminal couple were listed as persons of interest in the Sean Kinney investigation although a connection to
the 12 year olds disappearance wasn't immediately clear new sir investigators arrange to have photographs of Beck and
what sent to them by Express Mail to initiate a search for the pair Wednesday December 2 marked the fifth day of Sean
King his disappearance that evening 18 year-old Anil Clark was walking home from his fruit-picking job through
timbira mountains State Forest located 17 kilometres south of new so as he tracked along the edge of the overgrown
forest of eucalyptus trees into rain forests ferns Neal was struck by a foul stench he decided that if the odor was
still bare the next morning he would have a look around to investigate its source at 8:50 a.m. the following
morning of Thursday December 3 neil clark drove his car to the area of forest where he had picked up the
offensive odor the previous day the smell was still lingering in the crisp mountain air so Neil followed the
scent stepping off the track and venturing a short way into the forest towards castaways Creek emerging from
the shrubbery Neil's attention was drawn to the bushes by the shallow Creek where
he caught sight of the body of a young girl her blue and white striped dress in disarray horrified Neil stumbled back to
his car drove straight home and called the police Detective Sergeant Bob Atkinson was in
the Nusa base the command center overseeing the Zhang Qing Yi disappearance when the call from Neil
Clark was placed through to him a little after 9 a.m. upon hearing what the young man on the
other end of the phone had to say Atkinson and Brisbane homicide squad detective Senior Sergeant Bob de l'eau
drove straight to timbira Mountain State Forest following the directions given by
Neil Clark they entered the woodland veered off the path and headed in the direction of castaways Creek they're
resting near the creek bank amongst the Lost ferns and shady trees was the body of twelve year old Shawn King II
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when Shawn kingi's body was found the 12 year old was still dressed in her son Shawn beige school dress pink socks and
white sneakers her cut-up underwear was found in eBay and her green school backpack was located in a bush ten
meters away a small clearing near the creek appeared recently disturbed a section of the grass was crushed flat in
a square shape indicating something had recently happened there Shawn had been sexually assaulted strangled and at the
end of her ordeal stabbed 12 times with two deep cuts across her throat samba detectives at the crime scene thoroughly
examined the area their eyes damp with tears there was no sign of the murder weapon nor any other evidence tenían sir
two of the most significant questions who and why despite all hope and efforts to find Shawn King he before she had
come to any harm her missing person case had now shifted into a homicide investigation
although devastated at the outcome Linda King he said she was grateful that her daughter's body was found quote we know
she is at rest and nobody can hurt her anymore [Music] the kingi's remained stoic and dignified
holding themselves together for the sake of their younger child Shaun's little brother they expressed gratitude for the
ongoing hard work of police in the media and on some evenings brought dinner for
the overworked detectives who were tirelessly searching for their daughter's killer five days after Shawn
was found her family and friends gathered for a memorial service to celebrate the short though impactful
life of the popular kind-hearted preteen in acknowledgment of her New Zealand heritage Shawn was given a traditional
Maori farewell woven with elements from her Australian upbringing the song imagine by John Lennon played
the lyrics encouraging mourners to envision the world is unified in peace and harmony
[Music] Shawn was often regarded for her pixie light personality and appearance with
her girlish looks free spirit and wide endearing smile one of Shawn's school friends read a
piece from the fable paid a peon in which the foreveryoung character of Peter explains where fairies originated
from when the first child laughed for the first time let's laugh broke into a thousand pieces and went skipping about
and - that was the beginning of fairies Detective Sergeant Bob Atkinson and two senior members of the Homicide Squad
took a brief break from their hunt to find Sean's killer to attend to the young girls service and pay their
respects upon the discovery of Shawn kingi's body noosa detectives soon received the
photographs of their two persons of interest berry watts and a vow may back the owners of a white 1973 Holden
Kingswood station wagon witnessed in the vicinity of kanaru park at the time Shawn was last seen alive the pitches
depicted a 33 year old Barry John watts a slim short statured man of tanned complexion with tattoos inked beyond his
forearms and biceps as well as his wife 43 year old Velma fade back a matronly woman with pasty pale skin and short
wiry hair the photographs were accompanied by a note explaining that the couple had outstanding warrants
after skipping bail in Western Australia Barry Watts had failed to appear in court on an armed robbery charge and
foul maid Beck was wanted for a string of burglaries and obtaining money under false pretenses investigators for the
Shaun King homicide investigation put out a bulletin describing watts back end of their station wagon to every police
station throughout Queensland on Tuesday December 8 off-duty detective Constable Graham Hall decided to make an
impromptu visit to his office at the obscure manola investigation branch he noticed the bulletin from noosa police
informing officers to be on the lookout for Barry Watson falmi Beck wanted for questioning in relation to the murder of
Jean King II when Hall read the description of the wanted couples what 1973 Holden Kingswood station wagon and
saw its license plate number ll a four to nine his body tensed the number only differed by a letter and digit from
those supplied to him by Cheryl Mortimer and Nicole close they were two of three
young local lips which women who had been the targets of botched abduction attempts in early November by an unknown
man driving a white station wagon detective constable Hall and his colleagues had
taken every effort to search for the alleged abductor at the time of these attacks
unfortunately the victims had misread the perpetrators license plate the similarities between their recollections
of the plate suggested they were close to identifying the correct number police searched countless combinations of those
digits and two letters in databases their search failing to find a registration associated with a Holden
Kingswood station wagon with the realization the Ipswich attacker may have been the same person who targeted
Chongqing in Nusa weeks later Detective Constable Hall was overcome with guilt had they successfully traced the plate
in early November and tracked down its owner Shaun King he might have made the short bike ride home that Friday
afternoon Hall immediately found it detectives in noosa to notify them of the link he then requested Cheryl
Mortimer Nicole close enter the other nurse who had a close encounter with the unidentified man in Ipswich to urgently
come to the station for further questioning all three of the women were presented with a lineup of photos and
asked to point out the man who had confronted them each one identified a Barry White's as their assailant and in
the case of Cheryl Mortimer who was attacked by both a man and a woman she pointed out what's accomplice as a foul
maid back the bloody fingerprint left by the perpetrator on Cheryl's car window was a match to prints in Barry White's
criminal record it was clear Barry Watts with the assistance of his wife Velma Beck had attempted to abduct the Ipswich
women furthermore the couple's vehicle was witnessed in the vicinity of Ponnuru park at the time 12 year-old Shawn King
he was the last seen alive police were certain they were hot on the heels of Shawn's killers they put out an
Australian wide bulletin requesting police officers in every state be on the lookout for Barry Watts
vow Maybach and their vehicle at 4:00 p.m. the bulletin reached the local police station in the small inland
Queensland town of Lowood located on the Brisbane River 200 kilometers south of noosa constable John stare had finished
up his shift and was almost out the door when he was alerted to the announcement
that police in noosa were searching for a white Holden Kingswood station wagon with Victorian license plates
constable stare had spotted a vehicle just like it whilst patrolling the town during the week in a small country town
local Oh would seeing an out-of-state vehicle was unusual enough that stare had made a mental note of the first half
of the station wagons license plate l-l a he immediately made a call to noosa police to let them know what he had seen
on Wednesday December 9 Detective Constable Graham hall of the Ipswich Criminal Investigation Branch and a team
of detectives from noosa descended on Lowood on the lookout for the most wanted vehicle in australia a quick
drive through the small town of only 3,000 people quickly determined the white station wagon was not on the
street or parked in public so the detectives began methodically combing the town on foot showing every business
owner and a local resident pictures of the car and its owners in the hopes someone recognized the couple on the
following evening Thursday December 10 telephone service employee Colin harm was having a drink at his favorite pub
in Lowood when the barman brought up the topic of The Wanted couple entered the ongoing sir
Devi who the conversation sparked Colin's memory he had recently seen a white Holden Kingswood station wagon
with Victorian license plates parked in the yard of a house in Lowood while he was working up a telephone pole he had
taken special note of the car as he had been thinking of buying a similar model and remembered exactly which house that
was out in front of the next morning Colin Heung led police to an a-frame house on an acre block the white station
wagon was no longer parked in the yard and too nobody appeared to be home police door knocked nearby houses and
questioned neighbors who all had vivid recollections of the vehicle due to the frequency with which the man of the
house washed it they also mentioned the same man had been making questionable approaches towards passing schoolgirls
when presented with a book of mug shots the neighbors identified both Barry Watts and foul Maybach as living at the
property a local real estate agency confirmed that Barry Watson to foul Maybachs names were on the lace of the
Lowood property and police obtained a search warrant for the house when they entered the residence no one was inside
police found empty packets of hair dye in the rubbish bin and evidence indicating that the couple had left in a
hurry a rolled-up newspaper on the kitchen floor was dated the previous Friday December 4 police had missed the
fugitives by a week no evidence was found in the house to reveal the couple's current whereabouts Detective
Constable Graham hall thus the Lowood real estate agency if they could provide any further information that might help
locate Watson Beck he was in luck a rent payment had just come in from the pair via and money order
it had arrived from the entrance a holiday resort town on the New South Wales coast over 800 kilometers away
from Lowood Detective Constable Hall ray lady's findings to noose a Detective Sergeant Bob Atkinson with mounting
excitement they now had proof of what's and Becks whereabouts as recently as the
previous day police in New South Wales been notified and acted swiftly sending ten plainclothes police officers into
the small seaside town of the entrance to search for the wanted couple they were advised to act with caution as they
didn't want to alert the couple and give them any opportunity to flee police were
also warned that Barry Watts was known to carry a firearm and may not surrender lightly
within hours of descending on the entrance an undercover officer spotted a white 1973 Holden Kingswood station
wagon leaving a supermarket carpark it's victorian license plates red ll a four to nine realizing he had spotted berry
Watsonville May Beck's car the undercover officer discreetly tailed the vehicle down the entrance road until it
pulled into a cheap motel on a busy intersection the officer parked across the street and
put in a call to the new Cirque Amin Centre advising that he had the suspect vehicle under surveillance Detective
Sergeant Bob Atkinson who had been fronting the Shaun King investigation from the day her parents reported her
missing was on the next plane to Sydney to be present for the arrest of the 12 year olds killers have 5 p.m. on
Saturday December 12 nine days after Shaun King he was found murdered police circled the grant for motel unit
believed to be occupied by Barry Watts and Val mate Beck using a master key supplied by the motel manager officers
burst in on the room and confronted Watson back inside fears of a potential shoot out immediately subsided
when the couple offered a no resistance and were arrested without incident police
brought the pair to the local police station separated them and launched into interrogations Barry Watts seasons
career criminal knew no good could ever come from talking to the police he refused to provide his name and shook
his head when asked whether the mug shot they had was a picture of him what's the noid having ever been in Nusa
claiming to have just traveled up to Lowood from Melbourne where the pair had lived for the past ten years it was an
obvious lie as investigators were aware Watson Beck had skipped bail in Western Australia and were on the run meanwhile
in a separate interrogation room a veil maid Beck provided police with a story which placed the couple in Nusa on the
day of Shaun's murder Beck claimed the couple spent the day of Friday November 27 drinking and arguing before she
stormed off in anger Barry Watts then drove to new Seoul where he slept for a couple of hours before returning
the pick up his wife and take her home to Lowood when the couple were reunited in the police station
they gave nothing away Val made back sat on Barry Watts lap and two the two smoked cigarettes kissed and chatted as
if they didn't have a care in the world as Beck was led away for further questioning what's told his wife to
stick by him she promised she would Volnay Fay Beck was born in 1943 to a family dominated by a cold unloving
matriarch who would offload young Val Mae on to any relatives who would take her Velma's three brothers ran wild and
were not protective of their little sister if no relatives were available to watch over foul Mae she was left in the
company of strangers some of whom subjected her to sexual abuse by the time she was 12 years old valet
had been called out of school by her mother and sent to work in a clothing factory so she could pay her own way
three years later when Val Mae was 15 she was registered as a neglected child and committed to the care of the state
between 1961 and 1972 Val Mae was in and out of prison on a variety of offenses she changed her name periodically and
drifted between menial jobs regarded as uneducated and unlikable Velma Beck and nevertheless married
twice and gave birth to six children from at least two men she harbored a little to no maternal instincts
her children were either taken away by authorities and made into Ward's of the state or put into the custody of their
fathers and raised or swear Volnay spent much of her time in seedy bars run by staff who allowed her to keep drinking
long after she should have been cut off by 1983 she was a foul-mouthed drunk with children and a grandchild she very
rarely saw living in one of the down-and-out suburbs of Perth Western Australia it was in one of Perth's dingy
pubs that Val Mae was introduced to Barry Watts and man ten years her junior Barry
an orphan had an equally troubling childhood and was now making his way as a career criminal the two bonded over
stories of their time spent in prison Velma tart berry about the time she befriended Katherine Burnie a fellow
inmate in a Western Australian prison Katherine Burnie was incarcerated for the abduction rape and murder of four
women crimes she committed with her husband David covered in case 31 of case file during their time incarcerated
together Katherine Burnie allegedly told Val Maybach that having sex while murdering
a female was the greatest thrill of all Barry Watts listen to this story with great interest
bel made back into Barry what started a relationship falling into a habit of alcoholic benders drinking in squalid
dive paths until they were kicked out and to then carrying on in a local park until they passed there only to wake up
and do it all again the next day it was a sordid destructive relationship punctuated by verbal and physical abuse
despite their toxic pairing their May was desperate to hang on to the one man who seemed willing to maintain a
relationship with her in 1986 the couple married in Perth when Val Mae was 43 and
the Barry was 33 Velma took the surname of Barry's adoptive father back even when they had been able to find work
despite their extensive criminal records neither Val Maybach nor Barry Watts were
able to hold down jobs for long instead they turned to crime into Social Security fraud to fund to their drinking
binges Barry would break into cars to steal past books and eval Mae would practice copying the owners signature
until it was close enough that she could fraudulently withdraw money from the victims bank account by 1987 both valet
back into Barry Watts were out on bail on charges that would most certainly carry lengthy jail sentences given their
criminal records Perth had become too hot for them so they fled to the other side of the country laying low at
Barry's adoptive father's house in Victoria they eventually swapped their old sedan for a 1973 Holden Kingswood
station wagon a car that was big enough for the two to sleep in when they were on the road the couple knew it was only
a matter of time before police came looking for them so they headed north to the warmer tropical climate with no plan
on where that would stop after a rambling trip that took them through New South Wales and over the Queensland
border the couple settled in the town of Lowood the day after the couple's arrest
Detective Sergeant Bob Atkinson escorted Barry Watson to film a back on a plane back to Queensland and put them into
adjoining cells in the noosa police station lockup unbeknownst to what sort back police had
obtained a warrant to place covert electronic listening devices into their souls to monitor and record everything
the couple said a conversation between the pair revealed that the story Velma Beck had told investigators about the
pair's movements on Friday November 27 was actually prefabricated and rehearsed despite having helped to fabricate the
story Barry Watts expressed anger at his wife for telling police he was in noosa
and - thus placing him at the location of Chongqing his abduction at the time she went missing although they made some
other cryptic references to their activities the couple said nothing implicating them in Shaun's murder
Detective Sergeant Atkinson believed he had a better chance of extracting information from Velma Beck rather than
her stoic tight-lipped husband thus Atkinson began the mentally challenging task of befriending Vale May despite
feeling repulsed by the woman he strongly suspected was involved in Shaun's murder
he told bec about all the evidence they had compiled building a damning case against her husband he also told back he
was sure she hadn't meant to cause Shawn King any harm Velma continued to deny involvement in the crime
sticking to her original story about fighting with her husband and him retreating to noosa for a few hours
before returning to her yet she added small details every time she was asked to retell her version of events
Detective Sergeant Atkinson went back a patient sympathetic ear letting on to her insecurities about her marriage and
urgently establishing a rapport with the woman eventually his efforts paid off and as he anticipated
Velma Beck broke completely she spoke for seven hours straight stopping only to drink water go to the toilet or
consume the chocolate that detective said she demanded they bring to her by the time she'd finished talking
Velma Beck's complete statement filled over 29 pages according to back her husband Barry Watts had a fixation for
younger women amassing a large collection of pornography that featured teenage girls or adult actresses posing
his teens what's would compare his wife whom he criticized for being overweight and old
two younger prettier girls whenever Becca balked at one of Watts demands he would threaten to leave her for someone
younger and slimmer feeding her deepest insecurities she seethe with jealousy as
she watched her husband obsess over young teens but she also harbored a sense of voyeurism
during the couples move from Victoria to Lowood in Queensland Barry Watts left his beloved pornography collection
behind to get his kicks he would instead loiter outside and gawk at high-school girls walking home in their uniforms
what's new his wife felt increasingly threatened by his deviant desires and it used her paranoia and low self-esteem as
a form of control he would threaten to leave her just like her previous two husbands had fuelling Beck's
insecurities and ensuring she remained passive in their dysfunctional marriage when it was clear he had established a
hold over his wife what's told back about his fantasy of having sex with a young female virgin when BEC complained
about her husband's desire to be unfaithful what's told her there was one way she could ensure his fidelity to her
forever help him abduct a young virgin for one single act of sadistic pleasure getting
the desire out of his system once and for all Beck agreed to do as her husband asked
even when he indicated that their chosen victim would not survive the ordeal telling his wife quote I will be the
first and the last man she ever has when fuelled by alcohol induced courage Beck made his wife drive out into
distant neighborhoods to help him look for vulnerable young women valet Beck confessed to investigators that she had
assisted her husband in his failed attempts to kidnap Cheryl Mortimer Nicole clothes and to the other female
nurse in Ipswich in early November on Friday November 27 1987 Barry Watts told Val Maybach today's the day after
drinking heavily the couple travelled to the coastal town of noosa over 200 kilometers away from
their home in Lowood certain a warm day would attract an abundance of young girls to the local beaches they began
trawling nooses streets and Shores but the women they spotted were either too old for Watts or not alone frustrated
what started arguing with his wife and drove off on his own leaving her behind unable to give up on his evil plan
what's continued the search for his victims solo trudging the sand dunes along castaways beach but he soon
realized that would be far easier for him to abduct his victim with his wife's assistance as young girls would be more
likely to trust and approach a motherly middle-aged woman when Watts reappeared to pick up back she was grateful forever
paranoid that at any moment he would make a good on his threat and to leave her forever by dusk the couple still
hadn't found at their ideal victim Beck tried to reassure her increasingly incensed husband that his fairness he
would be fulfilled suggesting naked out of the car to stretch their legs on a walk around a pinare park
[Music] there Beck spotted a tall blond haired girl wearing a school uniform pedaling
towards them on a yellow bike urging what's the duck from sight Beck plastered a look of concern on her face
as the girl rode closer and emotion did her to stop sensing no danger Chongqing he clutched the brakes on her bike and
came to a stop before fair made back feigning concern Beck made up a fictitious story that she had lost her
dog in the park a little poodle with a cute pink bow asking Shawn for assistance finding it Shawn dismounted
her bike immediately laying it on the edge of the path Beck pointed in the direction her fictional poodle had gone
and Shawn peered into the thick bushes to save she could spot the lost pup Barry Watts then sprang from the bushes
grabbing Shawn roughly from behind he bundled her into the back seat of his station wagon holding her down and out
of sight he'd be on her wrists and ankles with rope and to covered her mouth with ground duct tape Beck jumped
in the front seat and took the wheel what's made in no attempt to cover Sean's eyes or disguise his own face
confident the girl would never be able to report his crime they drove about 15 kilometres inland before turning down a
secluded road leading through timbira Mountain State Forest stopping the car about two kilometres into the dense
Woodlands Barry Watts pulled out a large bedspread from the back of the station wagon and laid it out in a small grassy
clearing by castaways Creek he told his wife to be careful getting shine out of the car and removing the ropes and tape
so was not to leave any marks on her body or disturb her long blonde hair in a soothing voice
Velma Beck coaxed Sharon to obey reassuring her that if she did as she was told she wouldn't get hurt
after untying her Beck led Shaun to the bedspread which was illuminated by the station wagon headlights the area Watts
had chosen to commit his crime was well traversed meaning anyone passing through
the forest could have easily spotted the headlights and stumbled across them a busy highway was just 45 metres away
followed by a gas station a little further along the trees obscured their view and a nobody saw or heard a thing
hurry and an hour later Barry Watts ordered Cheyne to get dressed then to lie face down instructing his wife to
fetch him a belt from the car Velma Beck brought him a belt is requested but asked can't we just leave her and go
what's replied don't be so [ __ ] stupid I can't trust her not to give me up it was around 7 p.m. when Barry
White's dragged Shaun's lifeless body a few meters of the creek bank and into nearby brush meanwhile Velma Beck
wrapped up the knife duct tape rope and belt in the bedspread placing the items in the station wagon
she then concealed Shawn's personal belongings in the surrounding area before the couple climbed back into
their car and drove away on their way back home they pulled over briefly to throw the bedspread and its contents
into 6 Mile Creek located between two wanton and kuroi they stopped again in Brisbane to purchase milk and cat food
arriving back at their property in low water at around 10:00 p.m. la Becque put their dirty clothes in the
washing machine and started to cry Barry what's comforted her telling her not to
be upset and complimenting her for doing a great job and being a good wife they then had sex for the first time in a
long while although faul made back into Barry Watts were confident they hadn't been seen
during the attack on Chongqing he they went to great lengths to avoid detection Beca cut her husband's sun-bleached air
short and died at Brown then bleached her own hair they changed their clothing style so they wouldn't
match any descriptions provided by potential witnesses and washed their car thoroughly inside and out to remove any
evidence what's continued to reassure BAC that he didn't feel bad about the crime and -
neither should she as the wait wore on Jean King his disappearance remained a mystery to
police and to the killer couple started to relax it wasn't until they heard news
that Sean's body had been found and police were interested in speaking to the owner of a white station wagon that
the pair became spooked Watson Beck hastily packed suitcases got in their car and a left Lowood they
headed interstate towards Victoria where they figured they would be open to saw their car quickly for cash to avoid
being caught knowing they needed to keep the station wagon off the highways while
police were actively searching for it the pair took along rural routes after they passed over the border into New
South Wales they settled into a motel in the scenic seaside town of the entrance
about 100 kilometres north of Sydney together they devised the story to tell police should they ever be questioned in
relation to Shaun's murder what surged his wife - never confess nor believe any story that he had confessed
unless she heard it with her own ears the rent on the couple's Lowood property was jus and today planned to eventually
return to the house once the public interest in chongqing is murder faded and became another forgotten cold case
not wanting the hassle of a real estate agent knocking on the door of their Lowood house looking for rent and
perhaps raising questions about the couple's unexplained absence Watson back sent a money order through to cover the
payment inadvertently creating a paper trail that led police right to them after Velma Beck's confession for the
abduction rape and murder of Jean King II she was returned to her soul the Cova listening devices recorded her telling
her husband that she had made a confession she said quote the only thing I didn't put in the statement was what
happened between her and me I just couldn't tell them that Barry Watts responded that's quite understandable
I'm glad you didn't police searched 6 Mile Creek and recovered the discarded knife
duct tape rope belt and a bedspread used in the crime the tape still contained strands of Shawn's distinctive golden
hair investigators showed Barry what's his wife's lengthy and incredibly detailed statement that implicated them
both in Chongqing Lee's murder and although he was taken aback he remained tight-lipped
he barked that investigators quote you might know what happened that you've got to prove it when he was returned to his
cell what couldn't stop himself from flying off the handle aback for her betrayal as soon as they were left alone
he grounded her through the wall unaware everything he said was being recorded what quote
you hung me good on you top Worf if you hadn't betrayed me we could have got away with it back no jury in the land
would have found us innocent you know it and I know it but no one saw us pick her
up and throw her in the car no one seen her in the car no one's seen us kill her if you hadn't
confessed they didn't have a case over the following 20 hours the two continued to incriminate themselves further down a
back tried to convince her husband to plead insanity telling him quote if you just listen to me you will get out of it
I won't but you will I can't plead insanity but you can you're off your tap going out and raping
somebody is one thing but to kill somebody in cold blood and did not have any compassion at all that worried me
it's been worrying me for weeks since it happened because you told me it wouldn't
bother you but I thought it would what's responded coldly I'd like to do it again
you wanted to as well you wanted to do it again the couple began planing a suicide pact scheduled to be carried out
the following week on the one-year anniversary of their marriage on December 15 1987 the day before what
would have been chance 13th birthday Barry Watson - Velma Beck were formally charged with her abduction rape and a
murder the two were sent to separate prisons to await their trials where they were put among their general population
Barry Watts did not have an easy time in prison due to the fact his crimes involved a child he was targeted by
other inmates as the date of his wedding anniversary approached her correctional officer at
the Brisbane prison complex found what's crying in his cell claiming that he was
sick of being hassled for Shaun kingi's murder when the officer pointed out he had to expect some harassment for that
sort of crime what's denied killing Shaun at a meeting only to having sexually assaulted her
when the officer then asked who had killed Sean Barie Watts replied she did Velma Beck the killer couple's December
wedding anniversary came into when and to neither Barry Watts nor Velma Beck uphill to their side of their suicide
pact the pair didn't see each other again until April the following year when they arrived at the noosa heads
magistrate's court for their committal hearing there they were greeted by a noose hanging from the court clock tower
and hundreds of people with placards who had gathered to scream abuse at them when the detectives who had led the
toyless investigation arrived to the courthouse the mood of the crowd suddenly changed someone called out for
three cheers as enthusiastic applause erupted there was a moment of great pride for the officers many of whom were
used to the public's contempt and disapproval in an error marred by police corruption when the committal hearings
commenced Velma Beck pleaded guilty to shanking his abduction and rape but not guilty to her murder her husband Barry
Watts pleaded not guilty on all charges as the pair had turned on one another and we're now accusing the other fashon
kingi's murder they were committed to stand trial separately Velma Beck's trial came first beginning in October
1988 Beck's written confession took 90 minutes for the prosecution to read out in full detailing every lurid detail
later Becker told the shocked and sickened Court that shown quote never cried never shed a tear a brave little
girl she never uttered a peep she just did everything he told her Beck painted herself as a passive observer and
unwilling participant to the crime motivated by a man she loved and was afraid to lose she told the court I
didn't feel I had the qualities to hold a man and I was terrified Barry was going to leave me for a younger woman
however the prosecution then presented the court with the audio collected from Nicosia listening devices placed in the
accused cells shortly after their arrest during one recording beck told her husband that she had left out of her
confession quote what happened between her and me this indicated Beck was a far more active participant in the attack on
Schanke than she was willing to admit [Music] Barry Watts never made his own official
statement to police so there was nothing to contradict the Velma Beck's version of offense at the conclusion of her
trial the jury took just three hours to find her guilty of Shawn kingi's murder believing she was an active in the
willing participant on October 20 1988 Queensland Supreme Court justice Kelly called Velma
Beck callous and depraved before sentencing her to three years imprisonment for the abduction ten years
for the rape and a life for the murder of Jean King II Velma Beck quickly became the most hated woman in Australia
and was targeted by other inmates many of whom had children of their own and couldn't understand how a mother of six
could do something so depraved to an innocent child for the sake of a man urine and feces were thrown at Becca
regularly and to spread Ayotte around her prison cell and she was subjected to frequent through violent attacks
sometimes to the point of unconsciousness after being seriously injured by a blow to the head from a tin
can in a sock Beck was transferred to another Correctional Centre in Townsville for her own safety
barry watt stood trial for the abduction rape and murder of Schanke a year after
his wife still maintaining his innocence on all charges as Watts had made no admissions
the prosecution relied heavily on the CofO recordings of his conversations with Bell Maybach following their arrest
the recordings were corroborated by beck herself who had since divorced her husband and agreed to testify against
him Elizabeth young the woman who had witnessed Barry Watts behaving suspiciously on castaways beach shortly
before he abducted and murdered Chongqing he testified at his trial she said she wanted to look what straight in
the eye and have him quote go to bed every single night thinking there is a woman out there who put him behind bars
although Elizabeth provided investigators with the breakthrough needed to identify Chan's killers she
struggled with the guilt of not reporting what's before he had the opportunity to harm Shawn quote my big
regret is that I didn't do something on the first day but it's like trying to prevent a car accident before it happens
nothing I did was ever going to bring her back but I stopped him from doing it to anyone else
Barry Watts trial lasted eight days On February 8 1990 after six hours of deliberations a jury found him guilty of
Shawn King his abduction rape and murder he was sentenced to three years 15 years
and of life respectively upon sentencing Queensland a Supreme Court justice Kelly remarked quote the
vulgar crime shows you to be an evil man void of any sense of morality justice Kelley told the court the circumstances
of Shaun King his murder was so abhorrent that Barry Watts file should be marked never to be released
while he was in prison Barry Watts boasted to other inmates about the murder of not only Shaun King
II but of another young woman as well to determine the validity of these claims an undercover police officer was planted
in Barry what cell in an attempt to coax information from the convicted killer meanwhile investigators combed through a
missing person and unsolved murder cases hoping to find a connection to Barry Watts one case the stood out to
investigators was the disappearance of 31 year old a Queensland mother Helen Mary Feeney Helen was a petite woman
with light sandy hair who had vanished at 6:30 p.m. on October 29 1987 Mia weeks before Shaun King is murder Helen
Feeney was studying to be a teacher at a college in North Brisbane her what Holden Gemini sedan was found abandoned
in the college's parking lot the driver's side window smashed no sign of Helen had since been found
and she was presumed murdered the timing of Helens disappearance coincided with the beginning of Barry Watson devour
Maybachs crime spree less than two weeks after Helen vanished Watson Beck attempted to abduct three
women in Ipswich located just 40 kilometers away from Helens College investigators pressed what's fair
information about Helen Feeney saying they wanted to pronounce her dead and to locate her remains to provide closure
for her family but the convicted killer denied having anything to do with the mother's disappearance
once again Velma Beck implicated her ex-husband telling investigators what's killed the young mother during a
bungled car break-in according to bec they parked a couple of spaces away from a small white car and
she acted as a lookout for watts as he broke into the vehicle back heard the sound of glass smashing and shortly
thereafter what's placed something wrapped in a red dunno into the rear of their station
wagon Becca claimed she did not see a body but quote vaguely saw what looked like
somebody's sandy colored hair Becca claimed Watts told her that Helen had disturbed him breaking into the car
and she was now dead Beck said what's dumped the red donor and its contents at the Lowood rubbish tip and watched a
burn based on further information provided by Beck police believed Helens remains may have been relocated and
buried at a different location somewhere between Lowood and wife and hope dam the
subsequent searches of these areas resulted in no discoveries Barry Watts was put on trial for Helen Feeny's
murder in 1995 but no evidence could be found to corroborate Velma Beck's assertions that her former husband was
responsible for the crime Barry Watts continued to deny any involvement in Helens disappearance and the inmates
what's allegedly confessed who were uncooperative in court information gathered by the undercover police
officer who shared a cell with Watts was not permitted into evidence that Officer
suffered a nervous breakdown and resigned from the police force attributing his collapse partly to the
horror of working on the case the lack of compelling evidence or a body coupled with unreliable testimony from Velma
Beck resulted in Barry Watts being acquitted of helen Mae Feeny's murder her case remains unsolved to this day
in 1993 velma beck fell in love with notorious serial rapist robert john f-- arden after meeting him at an annual
prison barbecue put on for lifers their relationship lasted several years and by
1998 fartin wanted to become Becks fourth husband going so far as asking a pastor if he could purchase an
engagement ring through mail order the couple were denied the opportunity to marry and fartin was relocated to a
different prison their relationship appeared to have stopped there Velma Beck later converted to Christianity and
the cold-case detectives periodically interviewed her about Helen Feeney and other unsolved cases in the hopes that
the convicted killers newfound religious beliefs would compel her to confess to other crimes however Beck offered no
information in 2003 Beck was in the newspapers again this time for the friending
controversial politician Pauline Hanson who was serving time for electoral fraud
after her release Pauline Hanson told Woman's Day magazine that she felt sorry for Beck and two the two had become
close in prison after they quote had a laugh and hit it off Hansen described Beck is a very nice lady who she was
glad to have met adding that the convicted child rapist and killer had provided assistance help and friendship
when Hansen needed it the politicians remarks fueled public backlash and elicited a response from
Shaun King he's family who had up until that point avoided speaking publicly about their daughter's murder a
spokesperson for the kingi family called Pauline Hanson naive and condemned the politicians lack of clear judgement
after serving almost 20 years of her life sentence Velma Beck tried several times to get
parole but her request was denied each time in May 2007 she told Townsville correctional center staff she had
significant information in relation to the disappearance of Helen Feeney but subsequent questioning proved fruitless
and - led to no breakthroughs in the case [Music] by 2008 Velma Beck had a number of
severe health problems after being hospitalized for minor heart surgery in May that year best condition
deteriorated and she was put into an induced coma detectives remained convinced that Becky
knew more about other crimes than she ever admitted and held out hopes for a deathbed confession there was hated
debate about whether Beck who had expressed the desire not to be resuscitated should be kept alive for
that reason on May 27 2008 64 year old Velma BEC died in custody at Townsville Hospital from complications arising from
heart surgery investigators never got their deathbed confession any secrets Beck may have heard died with her new
sir Detective Sergeant Bob Atkinson who had previously led the investigation into shanking his disappearance and
murder was later promoted to police commissioner Atkinson said he was positive Shaun King he was not the only
victim of Barry Watson the late Val made beck telling reporters quote given the fact that Watson Beck was so active so
ruthless so organized I find it difficult to believe that the only things they did were the ones we know
about hakonsen never forgot the case of Shaun King he memories of the 1987 case flooded back in 2003 when the Sunshine
Coast was shaken by the unexplained disappearance of 13 year-old Daniel Malcolm just like he had done for the
kingi family hakonsen promised the Malcolm's he would never let the police service give up on finding their child
the disappearance of Daniel Morecambe is covered in case 54 of case file in 2009 53 year-old Barry Watts sought
parole but he could only be considered if he took responsibility and expressed remorse for his crimes this led to
what's finally breaking his 20-year silence about the murder of Jean King II in an interview described by detectives
as chilling what's made a full confession his parole application was denied Barry Watts remains in prison
today he has shown zero remorse for the murder of Jean King II and has never confessed
to any other crimes those involved with the case have vowed to do everything in their power to ensure that Watts will
never be released former Sunshine Coast detective Allen Burke worked on many horrendous crimes
over the years but nothing made quite the same emotional impact as the Jean King II case quote anyone that was
directly involved in that homicide was never the same again it was horrific through that initial period we found out
Shawn had a loving family she was a lovely girl with a future in front of her we were hoping she'd turn up and to see
her murdered was absolutely shattering Shawn was a passion at netball player and two loved hitting the courts with
her team on the weekends her tall slim frame towered over many of her smaller peers making her quite be intimidating
competitor during the heat of a contest Shawn would sometimes accidentally knock
other opponents over when this happened she would immediately stop playing me to
gain to pick them up give them a friendly brush down and ask quietly are you all right the King family have never
spoken publicly about Shawn's murder their focus has always remained on celebrating Shawn's life remembering her
as their smiling free-spirited daughter who loved parties riding her bike netball jazz ballet
and who would always stop whatever she was doing to pick others up when they needed it
[Music] you

Case 101: Sian Kingi

As the midweek workday was wrapping up on Wednesday, November 11 1987, staff were closing stores and filtering out of offices throughout Ipswich...

CREDITS

Narration – Anonymous Host Episode researched and written by Eileen Ormsby, author of ‘The Darkest Web – Drugs, Death and Destroyed Lives: The inside story of the internet’s evil twin’ Production, scoring – Mike Migas Additional scoring – Andrew Joslyn

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Brief Summary

Shawn Kingi, 12, was abducted and murdered by Barry Watts and Velma Beck in 1987, leading to their arrest and conviction.

Key points

The Attack on Cheryl Mortimer. Cheryl Mortimer's routine shift ends in terror when she is attacked in a parking lot.
Shawn King Goes Missing. 12-year-old Shawn King disappears after leaving school, sparking a community search.
Discovery of Shawn Kingi's Body. Shawn Kingi's body was found in the forest, leading to a homicide investigation.
The Arrest of Barry Watts and Val Mae Beck. Police successfully arrest the wanted couple without incident, marking a significant breakthrough in the case.
Val Mae Beck's Confession. Val Mae Beck breaks down during interrogation, revealing critical details about their crimes.
The Kidnapping of Shaun King. Barry Watts and Val Mae Beck execute a chilling plan to abduct a young girl.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

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0:25WatchNov 24, 2018

Tension

85/ 100High tension

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